Mother's Boy
by The Fink
Summary: When Eric's mother walked out on him thirteen years ago, he promised she'd hurt him for the last time. Now she's back, and that isn't the only problem... [COMPLETE]
1. ONE

Disclaimer: Eric, Kimberly, Wes, Jen, Alice and Taylor do not belong to me, they belong to BVE, but since BVE aren't using them any more, do you suppose they'd mind me borrowing? Gina, Annie Myers, Danielle 'Barbie' Hines, Ian Foster, Ellie Phillips, Paul Meachen and Police Chief Mackenzie do belong to me, as do all details of plot and set up. Ben Johnson is borrowed -- as ever with grateful thanks -- from Ekat. The assorted named -- if not necessarily speaking -- guardians belong to themselves. You guys know who you are -- many thank yous for letting me borrow!

Timing: This is roughly one year on from the end of Almost Unreal. There are some slight and minor spoilers for that story, but they really are minor.

Many thanks to Chris, Vanessa and Angel who've been enormous help in the writing of this. Many thanks also to Gamine who, though very busy, found the time to read through and beta for me. Again -- thank you all!

Warning: This story is PG-13 in rating. It is, therefore, not explicitly violent or gory. It does, however, contain several very intense situations. People of a very nervous disposition might want to hit the back button here.

~*~

**Mother's Boy**

**ONE**

It was a slow day, Gina noted as she frowned at the Solitaire game she was playing. Nothing strange; nothing out of the ordinary; no phone calls from Silverhills PD... Nothing. And she wasn't exactly complaining about that, either. Not after everything that had happened in the last year -- and she was more than well aware that what she knew about was a bare fraction of everything that had gone on. She finally spotted the next move open to her. Yep, a little bit of peace and quiet was what they could all do with.

"Excuse me?"

The voice, a husky, cracked alto, forced Gina to look up. She found herself looking at a short, Asiatic woman.

"Can I help you?" Gina replied, trying hard not to actually stare at the woman, who looked oddly familiar although Gina was reasonably sure she'd never met the woman before in her life. Something about the eyes...

"I'm looking for Eric Myers," the woman answered. "I'm told he works here?"

"May I ask who's calling?"

The woman nodded. "Annie Myers -- his mother."

~*~

Eric entered the reception area of the Silver Guardian headquarters, intending to head out for some lunch, in time to see a small, Asiatic woman approach Gina's desk. She looked... He found his gut tightening. She looked familiar. Without even thinking about it, he changed direction, heading towards Gina's desk.

"I'm looking for Eric Myers -- I was told he works here?" the woman was asking.

_No. Oooh no._ It couldn't be... It shouldn't be...

"May I ask who's calling?" Gina asked.

"Annie Myers -- his mother."

"You **bitch**!"

Both Gina and Annie jumped at the sound and force of his exclamation. He didn't care, it was taking all his personal restraint not to cross the remaining yard between him and Gina's desk -- and by extension Annie -- and throttle the woman.

"Eric...I..." Annie began, turning to face him.

"Save it," Eric interrupted. "I don't want to know. I'm going to say this once and once only. You walked out of my life when I was sixteen and as far as I'm concerned, you can stay out of it now." He pointed towards the door. "Get the fuck out of this building before..."

"I want to explain," Annie cut in, desperation written large on her face.

"Explain?!" Eric exploded. "You forfeited that right thirteen years ago!"

"But I..."

Eric growled, his fists clenching. "Get out of this building before I call the police and have you charged with trespassing."

Annie's jaw hinged open. "You wouldn't...your own..."

"You want to try me on that one?" Eric snapped. "Go right ahead. Gina, call SPD. Better still," he added, smiling predatorily, "call 911 for an ambulance."

He took a step forwards.

"Commander Myers, no!" Somehow Gina had put herself in between him and his intended target. "If you do what I think you're planning, I will be calling SPD but it won't be to pick up a trespasser."

"Gina, get the hell out of my way."

"No."

For a long second, Eric was tempted to just pound both women into the ground. Good sense, fortunately, prevailed. With a wordless snarl of rage, he turned on his heel and headed in the direction of the gym.

~*~

Gina watched Eric leave and swallowed. Hard. 

"Thank you..." Annie began.

Gina slowly turned to face the older woman. "Don't get me wrong," she answered. "I didn't do that for you, I did it for him." Annie looked taken aback. "I strongly suggest you don't come back here again."

"But..."

"Ms Myers," Gina responded, "I've worked here eighteen months. I've seen Commander Myers in a variety of different moods. I've never seen him that angry. He fully intended to kill you and next time, I might not be here."

Gina watched the other woman's shoulders slump. "You're right. Tell him..." Annie shrugged. "I'm sorry."

Gina watched as Annie walked out of the building and shook her head. What had she been saying about peace and quiet?

~*~

Eric pounded the stuffing out of the punch bag.

How dare **she** show up like this? Here? Now?

He'd set the past aside -- all of it. He was trying to start a fresh. The last thing he wanted -- or needed -- was for her to arrive here and drag it all back up. But too late -- she'd done just that.

"It's dead already," said a voice from behind him.

"Not goddamn dead enough," Eric snapped. "Leave me the hell alone."

"Gina told me what happened," the voice persisted.

"Did she -- well if you're here to get me to 'talk' about it, there's nothing **to** talk about."

"I thought you'd got beyond pushing everyone away," said the voice.

"I'm not pushing anyone away," he retorted. "There is nothing to talk about."

"And that would be why you're pounding the punch bag into shreds," answered the voice dryly.

Eric stilled, not looking at the speaker. "You wouldn't understand," he murmured, the anger burning into a cold depression.

"Try me."

Eric slowly turned round to face the speaker. "Jen..."

But whatever he might have been planning to say was lost as the loud klaxon of a general alert started to sound. His personal problems faded to insignificance allowing the commander-persona to float to the top.

"Report," he called to Jen, who was listening to her headset, as he realised he'd left both his headset and equipment harness in his office when he'd decided to go to lunch.

"There's a 'situation' at the East Mall and hotel complex," Jen answered. "Chief Mackenzie has requested we send a team -- and specifically asked that you, me and Wes attend."

That meant whatever was happening was likely to warrant the ranger powers -- and was going to require certain things from the rest of the Guardian team. A few names automatically sprang forth. "OK -- hook up with Wes; make sure we have all three morphers." Jen nodded. "I'll meet you in the vehicle yard."

"You got it." She paused at the gym door. "And don't think this is getting you out of our chat, Eric."

Eric offered her a faint smile. "I'll look forward to it."

As Jen disappeared, Eric swiftly headed up to his office to collect his own equipment harness and headset. As he went, he unclipped his cell phone from his belt and dialled home.

"Yes?" Kimberly answered a little tersely.

"Bad day's about to get worse," Eric answered, skipping pleasantries.

"That's your business voice," she observed. "What's up?"

"Not sure," he replied, opening his office door. "But Mackenzie wants the rangers, so whatever it is can't be good."

"Who're you sending over?"

"Fos and Barbie -- they'll be with you in five minutes," he said, grabbing the equipment harness and starting to pull it on. "Is Ellie there?"

"No...wait...yes -- just walked in."

"Good." He headed back out of his office. "Gotta go now -- see you in ten."

"You got it."

He ended the call and replaced the phone on his belt, already mentally promising to make it up to Kimberly later. Pulling his on headset, he instantly got blasted by the assorted comm. chatter a general alert always inspired. He waited a moment then pressed the transmit button on his headset.

"Alpha team -- Johnson, Earhardt, Foster, Hines -- report direct to the vehicle yard. Comm. team -- Stewart, Jackson, Elliott, Carter -- report to the comm. centre. Beta team -- Miller, Fredricks, Deslaurier, Sanders, Schwartz and Reed -- on station standby. Gamma and Delta teams -- Watson, Lear, Haynes, Pelka, Sterling, Hauritz, Fried, Clingeleffer, Pfitzner and Jones -- get your heads down, this could be a long op. Myers out."

He reached the vehicle yard to find Ben, Taylor, Foster and Barbie, along with Wes and Jen, already there. Wes tossed the Quantum Morpher in his direction.

"Mackenzie's specifically asked for Wes, Jen and myself," Eric explained as he caught the morpher. "That means he wants rangers. Ben -- you're ground commander. Fos, Barbie..."

"Pick up Kim and rendezvous," finished Foster, a tight smile on his face. "You got it."

He and Hines started towards one of the SUVs parked in the yard.

"East Mall and hotel complex," Eric continued. "We don't know what the situation is -- but you can bet your ass it's not good."

"Copy that, Sarge. See you in ten."

Foster and Hines departed. Eric turned to the rest. "Let's go."

~*~

Eric could recall the East Mall development getting the go ahead. He'd just been starting junior high -- which made the development roughly fifteen years old, give or take. It had been a shining piece of eighties development.

Had been.

As they approached the complex, Eric could see smoke rising from the development while the whole west side of the mall itself seemed to have collapsed.

"Jesus Christ," Taylor mumbled.

Eric couldn't help but agree.

They were waved through the police line and shown where to park, still a good fifty yards away from the building.

"Eric, with me," Ben announced, slipping into the role of commander. "Everyone else, set up our comm. post ready for Kim when she gets here and be ready for just about anything."

Eric followed Ben from the SUV as Chief Mackenzie and a man Eric mentally identified as Silverhills' fire chief.

"Good, you're here," said Mackenzie, not bothering with pleasantries. "This is Paul Meachen, chief of the Silverhills fire department."

"Ben Johnson," Ben answered, "Silver Guardians field commander, and this is Eric Myers."

If Ben doing the talking at all surprised Mackenzie, the generally grouchy and reluctant police chief didn't show it. Eric wasn't sure what that meant.

"Gentlemen," Meachen began, "as you can see, we have a serious situation in progress. At approximately two o'clock this afternoon there were at least four separate explosions in the complex. Two on the west side of the mall, causing that side of the development to collapse, one on the north side which caused further structural damage to the mall and at least one in the foundations of the East Plaza Hotel."

"At least one?" Ben echoed.

Meachen grimaced. "Prevailing theory is that it was one massive one but the structure is sufficiently unsafe that we cannot get in to assess damage. Nor can we get in to look for people trapped. Because of the smoke we have to go in with breathing gear and that combined with the IR gear..."

"No room," Eric supplied. Meachen nodded. "Which is why you want the rangers," he added, looking at Mackenzie.

"It's a job I know you can do," Mackenzie answered, for once not sounding like he was gritting his teeth as he said it.

"Do we have any idea of how many likely to be trapped?" Ben asked.

"The estimate we're working from at the moment, from the whole complex, is five hundred," Meachen answered. "This happened at a prime shopping time so the mall would have been busy..." The sentence trailed off because there was nothing else to say.

"Where do you want us to go in?" Ben continued.

"The are three entry points," Meachen replied. "North west corner; north east corner and hotel."

"One each, then," said Ben. Eric nodded.

"Good to go in...?"

Ben glanced at Eric as much to say: You know the answer to this question, not me. "Five minutes," Eric said.

Meachen looked a little startled but relieved. "Good."

Mackenzie nodded. "Good luck," he offered.

Ben gave a nod and walked back towards the SUV, which had been joined by the second SUV -- that meant Foster, Hines and Kimberly had arrived.

"OK," Ben called, pulling everyone's attention to him. "This is the situation..." Swiftly he outlined what had happened. "Plan is this," he continued. "Wes, Jen, you have the North West and North East entry points respectively. You'll work in tandem on that section of the mall. Eric -- you have the hotel." 

Eric nodded -- he'd been expecting that, particularly given that the Quantum Morpher was considerably more powerful than the two standard chrono-morphers. 

Ben continued, "You'll each have an outside spotter -- Barbie, with Eric; Fos, with Wes; Taylor with Jen. This building is unsafe and there may well be signs outside that the building's going to go long before there are signs inside." There was a lot of sense in that. "Kim is the comm. controller; all voice traffic will go via her."

"Call signs," said Kimberly briskly. "Red one is Wes; Red two is Jen; Red three -- Eric. Spot one is Fos; Spot two is Taylor; Spot three -- Barbie. I am Control; Ben is Control two."

"I'll be with Kim," Ben added, "marking off your locations as you go through so that if the worst comes to the worst or if we lose comm. we know where you are." He paused. "Any questions?" Silence. "OK -- let's get to work."

Eric met Wes and Jen's gaze. "Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," Jen answered nodding.

"All the way," Wes replied.

Eric nodded. "Let's do this. Quantum Power!" He was aware of Wes and Jen both starting their own morphs even as the wash of power over took him. There was always a heart stopping moment that this would be the time it didn't work or that it would go wrong, then the morph took full effect and the fear vaporised.

A moment later and he, Wes and Jen were fully morphed.

"Comm. test," came Kimberly's voice over the internal comm. system. "Control to Red one." There was a pause while Wes answered. "Received. Control to Red two." There was another pause while Jen answered. "Received. Control to Red three."

"Loud and clear," Eric answered.

"Received." He got the impression Kimberly was smiling although since he was standing outside the SUV command post and she had taken her place in it he couldn't see her to know for sure. She ran through the three spotters with no problems. "Control to all call signs, we are good to go."

~*~

Eric slowly made his way into what had once been a luxury hotel foyer but what was now a soot coated, rubble-strewn mess. What worried him most was the almost forty-five degree angle the floor had to it. The west side of the building had to have dropped a good five to ten feet. Not good.

"Control to Red three," came Kimberly's voice.

"Go ahead."

"Update on your situation -- Meachen has just reported to us that there were thirty members of staff on shift and forty guests checked in."

"Any clue on how many of those accounted for?" Eric asked, picking his way through the rubble towards the stairs.

"Twenty of the staff got out there and then. We have no clue about the guests -- it's a modern hotel."

"So no checking in room keys." Eric grimaced. "So I'm looking for anything up to fifty people?"

"You are -- Mackenzie is running a report-in station, though, so as people call in we'll update you."

"Understood."

"Control out."

"Control two to Red three," came Ben's voice. "Location please."

Eric smiled faintly. "First floor, about to try the stairs down into the parking garage. First floor is clear of people."

"Copy that, Red three. Control two out."

Eric was peripherally aware of more comm. chatter, but as none of it was directed towards him, he tuned it out. The stairs down to the basement parking garage were treacherous. He wanted to use the IR scanner on the Quantum Morpher but he didn't dare take his attention away from where he was putting his feet.

The stairs were sloping east/west -- as the floor of the foyer had been -- but making them even more difficult was that the stairwell had partially collapsed, leaving some sections missing stairs altogether. Those blank voids were sheer drops, and while Eric knew they wouldn't kill him, he wasn't over keen to take that short cut into the basement if he didn't have to.

"Copy that Spot three. Control to Red three."

Eric paused. "Go ahead Control."

"Spot three reports the sound of falling masonry."

"Whole building's on roughly a forty-five degree tilt east/west," Eric answered. "There's bound to be some of that. Can you ask Spot three if it sounds like big pieces or just grit?"

"Will do -- standby Red three."

Eric waited where he was while Kimberly relayed the question to Hines. While he waited for the answer, he took the chance to run a first IR scan. There were a couple of questionable readings thrown up -- enough doubt that he knew he'd have to get down into the basement.

"Control to Red three."

"Go ahead."

"Spot three says grit for the most part. Nothing larger than pea-size."

"Thank you Control -- and thank Spot three. Tell her to yell if the pieces sound like they're getting bigger."

"Understood, Red three." There was a pause. "Take care?"

Eric smiled tersely. "I will do."

"Control out."

A look further down the stairs revealed a huge pile of rubble blocking the stairs completely. Eric pulled a face. _Guess it'll have to be the old fashioned way._ He backtracked to the nearest gap in the stairs and peered through it. The night vision element in his visor enabled him to see the floor some ten feet below. The darkness down there was truly inky. A shiver travelled up his spine. _I hate dark spaces..._

This was not the time for that fear to show its face.

Eric drew a calming breath. Hysterics later, work now. 

He swallowed and jumped.

~*~

Kimberly was glad to be the comm. controller. It meant that when something like this happened she knew exactly what was going on and she wasn't left sitting at home, glued to the local news feed; waiting for news; wondering if Eric was all right.

"Red one to Control."

Kimberly pulled her attention back to the here and now. "Go ahead Red one."

"Completed the first shop here -- all clear. Moving on to the next one."

"Understood, Red one."

"Thanks for the location update," Ben contributed.

"No worries, Control two. Red one out."

Kimberly sat back in her seat, watching as Ben marked off the cleared shop on a mall floor plan that Meachen had produced.

"Thank god this was just a single story mall," Ben observed off-mic.

"Control this is Spot two."

"Go ahead Spot two," Kimberly answered.

"What is Red three's current location?" Taylor queried.

"Heading towards the basement."

There was a pause, then Taylor said, "I know Spot three's mentioned falling masonry -- I can see the north-west corner of the hotel from my position and I would swear it's dropped a foot in the time I've been standing here."

Kimberly swallowed. "Understood, Spot two. I'll relay that message. Control to Red three."

There was a long silence. So long that Kimberly wondered if they'd lost contact with Eric. "Sorry about that, Control -- checking for life signs. Go ahead."

"Spot two reports the hotel is subsiding into the basement at your end of the building."

"Yeah -- I've spotted that myself. I've also got a little bit of a problem."

Kimberly felt her heart leap into her mouth. "What's the trouble?" she asked, somehow managing to keep her fear from her voice.

"I have a casualty down here -- and no way to evac. The stairs are gone almost completely -- I got down by jumping through a hole in the floor."

Off-mic, Ben swore. "Red three this is Control two -- what is the status of your casualty?"

"Dazed but conscious; has sustained some cuts from flying glass and masonry and has a leg injury of some description. Too dark down here to tell anything more than that."

"Copy that, Red three. Standby."

Kimberly looked at Ben. "What now?"

"Red three to Control."

"Go ahead Red three."

"We're smoke free down here, so if you can get someone in with a rope sling..."

"That's what I like about the boss," Ben mused off-mic. "You can always rely on him to solve your problems before you've had a chance to think about it!" Flicking his comm. set over to the fire service's frequency, he started to call up Meachen for just that.

Kimberly smiled. "Understood -- we'll update you on an ETA when we have one."

"Understood. Red three out."

"Kim -- can you get SGHQ up?" Ben asked as he finished speaking to Meachen. "Get Beta team up here -- if the hotel's in the sort of state I think it is, this isn't going to be the only time we need this and it's not going to help if we keep having to ask Meachen for equipment."

Kimberly nodded. "Will do." She flicked over to the standard Silver Guardian frequency. "SGHQ come in."

"SGHQ here," someone answered. "How are things where you are?"

"Not good," Kimberly replied.

"We have WSLV on -- doesn't look good. What do you need?"

"We need Beta Team up here," Kimberly stated. "We need the extra man-power."

"Any special equipment requests?"

Kimberly glanced at Ben. "Rope slings and protective headgear."

"Understood. ETA Fifteen minutes. SGHQ out."

Kimberly flicked back to the operational frequency. "Do we have an ETA on the rope sling right now?" she asked, looking at Ben.

"Five minutes."

"Control to Red three."

"Go ahead Control."

"ETA on that rope sling is five minutes."

"Control two to Red three -- there will be a paramedic with the sling before you ask."

In spite of the situation, there was a huff of laughter from Eric. "Copy that, Control two. Thank you."

"No worries. Control two out."

"Red three," Kimberly continued, smiling a little, "is the rest of the basement clear?"

"Affirmative on that one -- my casualty says he was the parking valet, Miguel Rodriguez, so he would be the only person down here, plus I read no other life signs."

"Understood. Thanks Red three. Control out." Kimberly looked at the list of unaccounted for hotel staff. "That's one found." She crossed Rodriguez's name off the list. "Only nine to go."

~*~

Jen slowly swept her gaze over the ruins of what had once been a toyshop. Piles of boxes were a testament to the events -- although they seemed to be the only physical sign of what had occurred. The structure otherwise looked fine.

"Control to all call signs, we have our first survivor," Kimberly announced.

That news was cheering. It meant this operation was in time. Who knew, perhaps they would find all the people listed as missing in the hotel. The mall, though, was likely to be a different prospect.

A faint sound caught her attention. Following it, Jen rounded a corner and found the first sign of structural damage -- the entire back wall had collapsed. The part of the store that joined on to the hotel.

"Is someone there?" called a voice.

Studying the rubble pile, Jen answered, "Silver Guardians. I can't see you yet, though, so keep talking to me. I'm going to get you out."

"Silver Guardians?" queried the voice, sounding as though it was coming from somewhere to Jen's left. "What good can you do? You're just hired thugs."

"Well," Jen answered, following the voice, "for hired thugs, we come in handy sometimes. Keep talking."

"How can a private army be useful?" the voice wanted to know. Jen finally pinned down the speaker's location and carefully made her way over to them. "I mean...this is a job for...for...professionals."

Jen rolled her eyes as she reached the person, a middle-aged woman who was apparently pinned underneath a large slab of concrete. "Whatever you say, ma'am," she answered.

"I suppose you think I'm being unreasonable," the woman continued.

Jen studied the way the concrete was lying on the woman. "How're you feeling under there? Is there anywhere in particular you're trapped?"

"My ankle -- otherwise I'd have been able to wriggle out." The woman shot Jen a bemused look. "What are you planning to do?"

"I said. I'm going to get you out of here." Jen started to carefully probe the rubble roughly where she thought the woman's feet were likely to be.

"But you're one person!"

"Well one person can get a lot done," Jen replied. "Trust me on that count." She managed to uncover the woman's feet but only just held back a curse. The woman's right ankle had been completely mangled by falling concrete. "I just need to contact my team," she said.

"Is it bad?" the woman asked. Jen hesitated. "It's bad."

"It is -- but I promise you, I'll have you out of here in just a moment." Over the comm. system, Jen called, "Red two to Control."

"Go ahead Red two," Kimberly answered.

  
"I have one casualty in Murray's Toy Box. I have no problems with getting her out but her ankle is crushed, so walking is a definite no."

"Understood, Red two -- Miller and Deslaurier will be waiting with Spot two."

"Thanks Control -- ETA three minutes."

"Understood. Control out."

Jen moved to a position behind the woman's shoulders. "I'm going to gently pull you out," she explained. "It is going to hurt, but I've got people standing by outside who'll take you straight to the paramedics."

"I'm ready."

Jen gently took hold of the woman just under her shoulders and started to pull. The woman gritted her teeth as she started to move from the concrete coffin. There was an ominous rumble. The pile started to give way. Desperation leant her extra strength. The woman came free as the pile collapsed.

"OK?" Jen asked.

The woman nodded, shock and pain setting in. "That was close," she mumbled.

"Let's get you out of here."

After a little effort, Jen got the woman arranged piggyback style on her back.

"I take it back," the woman mumbled.

"Take what back?" Jen asked, heading for the exit.

"What I said... You can do this job."

Jen smiled faintly. "All part of the service, ma'am."

~*~

"Control, this is Miller -- we have the evac from Murray's Toy Box."

Kimberly smiled. "Understood Miller. Control to all call signs, we are two for two. Repeat, that is two survivors."

"Control two to Red one, can you state your current location please?" Ben asked.

"Just finishing with shop two and about to move on to shop three -- Dbase Computing."

"Understood, Red one."

"Shop two is clear."

"Copy -- Control two out."

"Control this is Spot three. I have an update on the falling masonry."

Suddenly any jubilation Kimberly might have been feeling at two survivors found evaporated like a glass of water in the Sahara. "Go ahead Spot three."

"It seems to have stopped for time being. I haven't heard or seen anything drop for the best part of five minutes."

Kimberly sagged back into her seat. "Copy that, Spot three. Keep your eyes and ears open."

"Will do. Spot three out."

"Red three from Control."

"News for me?" came the reply. Kimberly relayed what Hines had just told her. "Understood. Can you ask Spot two how it's looking from her perspective?"

"Will do -- standby." Kimberly wanted to believe that Hines' words were good news. "Spot two from Control."

"Go ahead."

"How's the hotel looking to you?"

There was a long pause, presumably while Taylor made an assessment. "I'd say it was still dropping at this corner but the rate's slowed. Maybe only an inch or two now."

"Thanks Spot two. Red three."

"Go ahead."

"Spot two thinks it's still sinking."

There was a pause on the connection as Eric clearly swore off-mic. In spite of the situation, Kimberly found herself smiling. If it had been anyone else acting as Control she knew they'd have received a blast of whatever choice obscenity it was. But her, he never swore in front of. It was...touching. "Understood, Control. Thanks."

"No problem. Control out."

"Control two to Red three. Can you give me a location please?"

"Heading up from the foyer to the second floor."

"Thank you Red three. Control two out."

Kimberly sighed. "It's not 'if' the hotel's going to collapse but when," she said, looking at Ben.

Ben nodded. "I'm no structural expert but...sure sounds that way."

Kimberly looked at the comm. set. Maybe this time it would have been better to be watching this on the television.

~*~

Eric picked his way along the corridor of the second floor. The IR scanner indicated there were at least three people on this floor, which was a good sign, but the crazy tilt to the floor made the going hard -- and would make it even harder if there were injuries.

"Hello?" called a voice from room 203. "Is there someone out there?"

"Silver Guardians," Eric answered.

"Oh, thank god!" exclaimed the person. "I can't get this door open...I heard an explosion...what's happened?"

"The door I can help you with," Eric answered. "And yes, there was an explosion. We're evacuating people right now. When you get outside, you'll probably find someone who can tell you more than I can."

"OK...you can get me out?"

Eric smiled to himself. "I can -- but I need you to get clear of the door. Well clear." He waited. "Are you clear?"

"Yes I am."

"OK -- on the count of three, I'm going to get the door open. One, two...three." Eric planted a kick on the wedged door. The cheaply constructed door gave out and exploded in a shower of matchwood. "OK -- come out."

A woman in housekeeping uniform appeared. "Thank you!" she exclaimed.

"You're welcome, ma'am -- are there any more housekeeping staff on this floor?"

The woman frowned. "There shouldn't be -- we do a floor each."

Eric debated for a moment as to whether to send her down the stairs on her own and decided against it. "There are two more people on this floor," he said instead.

"That'll be the young couple in 209," she answered. "They had their 'do not disturb' sign out."

Beneath his helmet, Eric smiled. "Thank you, ma'am. Chances are they're trapped like you were. Let me go get them, then we'll all get downstairs together."

She nodded. "OK."

With one eye on the IR scan and the other on the room numbers, Eric said, "Control, this is Red three."

"Go ahead Red three."

"Got three more people you can cross off your list, Control. One member of the housekeeping staff and the occupants of room 209."

"Unharmed?" Kimberly asked.

"Housemaid, yes -- just getting to 209 now. Standby." Eric stopped at the door. Sure enough the other two heat signatures were behind the door. Aloud he said, "Silver Guardians -- how're you doing in there?"

"What's going on?" asked a voice irritably.

"It's a long story," Eric answered. "I'm here to get you out."

"We don't want to leave," objected a second voice. "We were up late and..."

"And that's not a request," Eric cut in. "This place is subsiding. It is dangerous. You have a count of three, then I will free this door."

"But we're not wearing anything!" said the first speaker, scandalised.

"Then I suggest you get some clothes on pronto. One. Two. Three." A second door imploded. Without waiting for an invitation, Eric entered the room, to find a young couple in the first stages of getting dressed.

"You can't do that!" squealed the woman.

"I just have," Eric retorted, patience rapidly evaporating. "Now get moving."

"But..."

At that moment, the building gave a shudder.

"Geez you weren't kidding!" exclaimed the man.

"No, I wasn't," Eric retorted. Then over the comm. system he said, "Red three to Control."

"Go ahead, Red three."

"Occupants of room 209 unharmed but sans any shred of dignity now."

There was a snort of laughter. "Red three this is Control two -- you are soo going to have to explain that remark later."

"Will do -- can there be someone ready outside to meet these three, please; this is rapidly getting more dangerous."

"Copy that, Red three," answered Kimberly. "Reed and Saunders will be there."

"Thanks, Red three out." Eric turned his attention back to the couple. Aloud he said, "Ready?"

Meekly, the woman answered, "Yes."

"Good."

~*~

"Here's the latest list of staff members missing," said a police officer, handing the list to Kimberly. "All the kitchen staff are safe and sound -- they appear to have mustered somewhere else, not realising that they were in the wrong place."

Ben rolled his eyes. "There's always one group who do that."

Kimberly compared the new list to the list she'd been working from. "Control to Red three."

"Standby." Kimberly held her breath. "Sorry -- negotiating a bad flight of stairs. Go ahead."

"Good news. All staff have now been accounted for."

"Definitely good news." There was another lengthy pause. "How're we doing on the guests?"

"Just checking that now, Red three -- standby."

Kimberly looked to the police officer, who shrugged. "We're still collating that." 

"How long?" Kimberly asked.

The police officer spread his hands wide and shrugged again. "I know this is critical but we're waiting on people getting out of business meetings and hearing something's gone down."

"Well can you get a preliminary list?"

"I'll do what I can, ma'am."

"Thank you." Turning her attention back to the comm. mic, she said, "Red three, still no firm list."

There was another pause in which she got the impression Eric was swearing. "Understood. Control two, I'm just about onto the third floor. If Red one or two have finished, I could use some help here."

Kimberly swallowed. "Copy that, Red three. Will check that out for you. Control out."

"Thanks Red three, Control two out."

"Control, Spot two." Taylor's voice was the last thing Kimberly wanted to hear.

"Go ahead, Spot two."

"The hotel's not looking great right now. It's definitely dropping again. It's not safe."

"Spot two, pull back to a safe distance," Ben cut in.

"Am doing so," Taylor answered. "Spot two out."

"Control to Spot three -- what's the situation with you?" Kimberly asked, trying desperately to keep the fear from her voice and not really succeeding.

"I'm safe where I am right now," Hines answered. "But you can tell Red three that the masonry's started showering down again -- and this time it's not gravel, sized."

"Understood. Thanks Spot three." Kimberly glanced at Ben. She debated who to call up next. "Control to Red one."

"Go ahead, Control."

"How's your area looking, Wes?"

"It's clear so far. Not too damaged, despite everything."

"Copy that -- standby for a change of plan."

"Understood."

Kimberly looked to Ben. "Control two to Red one."

"Go ahead, Ben."

"I need you to get round to the hotel," Ben replied. "Red three has checked out basement, first and second floors but is rapidly running out of time."

"Copy that -- heading there now. Red one out."

"Control to Red three."

"I heard the change of orders -- tell Red one I'll skip right to the top floor -- that is twelfth floor -- and work down, if he can pick things up from the third floor."

"Understood. And message from Spot three," Kimberly continued. "The masonry's started falling again -- big bits now."

There was a long pause. When Eric's response came back, it was breathless as though he'd just run up several flights of stairs. "Thanks. I'm getting this done as quickly as I can. Red three out."

"Red two to Control."

"Standby Red two. Control to Red one -- Red three is working top down; start from third floor and work up."

"Understood, Control."

"Go ahead Red two."

"I've cleared the structurally damaged section of my area -- do you want me to help Red one and three?"

Kimberly looked at Ben who shook his head. "Negative, Red two -- continue as you are."

"Understood, Red two out."

Kimberly rounded on Ben. "Why not?" she asked.

"Because there could well still be people stuck in that section of the mall," Ben answered.

"Spot one to Control." Foster's comm. call effectively terminated the conversation.

"Go ahead, Spot one."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Control two to Spot one -- make your way round to Spot three's position and be ready to help anyone coming out. We've got a hustle on here."

"Understood. Spot one out."

Kimberly opened her mouth to say something to Ben. He forestalled it by saying, "I know, Kim. I am just as worried as you are, but I do not want all the proverbial eggs in one basket and there are other people who may need our help."

"I was going to say sorry," said Kimberly meekly.

Ben offered her a smile. "It'll be OK. You want to get some fresh air?"

Kimberly shook her head. "I stay until this is done."

~*~

Wes silently shook his head as he made his way along the third floor. He could see how this was such slow going. The floor was now tilting at an angle that almost made it impossible to walk along the hallway.

"Help!" called a muffled voice from room 304. "Is there anyone out there? Please!"

"Silver Guardians," Wes answered. He tried the door, only to find it was stuck. "Are you clear of the door?"

"It's stuck!" the voice yelled, clearly on the verge of hysterics. "Please help!"

"I know it's stuck -- I'm going to get it open, but I can't do that if you're standing behind it," Wes answered, keeping his voice even.

"Oh...oh... I'm away from it."

"Good." A well-placed kick and the door imploded. "OK -- you can come out now."

A nervous looking man appeared. "Oh thank you, thank you." For a second Wes thought the man was going to kiss him. "How do I get out?" the man asked instead.

"Just head straight for the stairs and take care on the way down. Someone will meet you and get you to safety," Wes answered.

"Thank you!"

As the man took off like a scalded cat, Wes said over the comm. system, "Control this is Red one -- tell Spot one and three to expect another one out."

"Understood."

"And third floor is now clear. Moving up to fourth."

"Copy that, Red one and Control two would say thanks if he hadn't just taken a sip of coffee."

Wes smiled faintly. "Understood, Control. Red one out."

He paused a moment, checking the IR view of the floor to make sure he hadn't missed anything and then headed up the stairs.

~*~

The building shook again as Eric climbed down the stairs having cleared tenth floor. The shake made him lose his footing and sent him down the rest of the stairs onto the ninth floor headfirst.

"Shit in hell's fire!"

"Say again, Red three," came Ben's voice over the comm..

"That was not a transmission," Eric retorted, drawing himself into a sitting position and shaking his head, trying to clear the stars from his vision. "This is getting like trying to walk on water."

"Red one has cleared third and fourth. Where are you?" Ben continued.

"On ninth about to start clearing," Eric answered, getting back to his feet. "What's Spot two's location? If this place is going to go, it's going in her direction."

"She's already pulled back, Red three," Ben replied.

"Not to tell you your job, Ben, but make sure she has," said Eric, scanning ninth with IR and getting no life sign readings at all. "You know Taylor."

"Sure do," Ben agreed.

"Ninth's clear," Eric added. "Heading down to eighth."

"Copy, Red three. Control two out."

~*~

Ben looked at Kimberly, who was sitting, white-faced, in her seat. "Kim -- get some fresh air," he said.

"I stay," she answered, "until this is done."

"Control this is Red two."

"Go ahead, Red two."

"Mall is clear. Repeat mall area is clear. Most of this area, apart from right up close to the hotel, was in tact, so people got out on their own." Jen paused. "I'm switching to the hotel location."

"Spot three to Control."

"Standby Red two. Go ahead, Spot three."

"It's going," Hines answered. "Repeat hotel is starting to collapse."

"Red two, that is a negative," said Ben. "Control two to Red one and Red three pull out. That is a direct order."

"Copy that, Control two. Fifth is clear -- I am outta here. Red one out."

"No can do, Control two."

There was a frozen moment. Ben didn't dare look at Kimberly now. 

"Say again, Red three," she said, her voice almost toneless.

"No can do, Control. Stairs are shot and...shit...there's someone up here."

"Eric pull out!" Ben ordered.

"I'm trying. Have got the casualty. I'm trying to find another way out. I..."

There was an ominous rumble.

"Control to Red three -- what is your status?"

"Red one to Control -- I'm free of the building along with Spot one and Spot three." Wes hesitated. "The stairs were collapsing behind me as I went."

"Copy, Red one," Kimberly answered automatically. "Red three what is your status?"

"I..."

There was a squawk of static that was all but masked by a dull roar as the hotel building finally gave way.

Ben could only watch in abject horror as the building collapsed gracefully into a heap of rubble. It hadn't just happened. It hadn't...

"All call signs report in," came Kimberly's voice, as though the building was still standing.

"Spot one here."

"Spot two here."

"Spot three here." Hines' voice sounded strained.

"Red one here." 

"Red two here -- and in the dark, Control. What's just happened?"

"The hotel's collapsed," Kimberly replied. "Standby." Ben looked at Kimberly and watched as she swallowed. "Red three report in."

Ben sensed everyone who heard Kimberly's comm. hail holding their breath. But no response came.

"Red three -- report in."

Nothing.

"Red three -- damnit report in!"

Nothing.

"Red two to Control," came Jen's voice, quiet but determined. "We will find him."

~*~


	2. TWO

**Mother's Boy**

**TWO**

"Ohgodohgodohgod..."

The litany slowly worked its way through the wadding that seemed to have filled Eric's mind, gradually pulling him back to consciousness. Beyond the steady chant, the first thing he realised was that the chant wasn't the only thing he could hear repeating.

"Warning: Power level critical."

Hot on the heels of that recognition came the realisation that he and the chanter were trapped, together in a very dark, confined space. That alone was enough to bring cold, hard fear flooding through his system.

Eric drew in a long breath and let it out. _Keep calm. You need to keep it together right now, Myers._ He swallowed. _There's someone else in here with you. For their sake, you need to keep it together._

"Ma'am, are you all right?" The last thing he was expecting was for her to scream, but she did, the sound cutting right through his head. "Ma'am -- please don't do that."

"But...you're dead!"

"No ma'am." Eric squinted into the darkness. It was almost too dark for the night vision element to function. He found where she was huddled in this hole and reached for her hand. She flinched at his touch. "Trust me -- I just want to prove I'm breathing."

He heard her gulp, but she allowed him to guide her hand to his chest. "I thought you were dead...I thought I was stuck in here with a dead body...you didn't say anything...or move...for so long..."

_"Morpher, cut audible power level warning and tell me how long I was unconscious for,"_ Eric requested sub vocally. Aloud, he answered, "I think I must have hit my head."

"It's my fault."

_"Unconscious for twenty three minutes and fifteen seconds,"_ the morpher's computer responded.

Eric slowly shook his head, the motion felt sluggish, a sure sign he still wasn't fully conscious -- which was not a good thing at all. "Your fault?"

"If you hadn't seen me, you could have gotten out," she answered.

Eric frowned, trying to remember what had happened. It finally came to him. "No I couldn't. The stairs had already gone." Slowly he pulled himself into a slightly more comfortable position, careful to not dislodge any of the surrounding masonry. Over the comm. system, he tried, "Red three to anyone who can hear this." Static was his only answer. _"Morpher, how deep in the rubble are we right now?"_ he asked.

"I wish I hadn't come back to Silverhills," the woman admitted, her voice sounding a little more certain now.

"It's the sort of place that drags you back," Eric agreed. "Do you have family here?" 

_"You are eight feet beneath the surface,"_ came the response from the morpher.

"Son," the woman answered. "We're...estranged."

"Estimate chances of digging ourselves out."

"I'm sorry," Eric replied. "That must be tough."

"It's my own fault, really," she replied. "But...I did think he might want to hear me out."

A chill ran through Eric. _It couldn't be...?_ "I take it you met with him recently?"

"This morning, actually," said the woman. "And to say it didn't go well is an understatement. I...suppose I didn't realise just how angry he was."

"As you currently are, your chances of successfully digging yourself out are zero."

"Gee, comfort much?"

_"Sarcasm is not required."_ Who knew computers could sound huffy.

"What are the oxygen levels like?"

"What did he do?" Eric asked.

"I thought he was going to kill me." Eric froze. Of all the people to get trapped with, it had to be her. "But I suppose I can't blame him." Her words threw his own actions into sharp relief and he cringed. "I was the one that walked out on him -- not the other way round."

"That's still no excuse for his being violent towards you."

"Oxygen levels are good -- there is an airflow in this cavity."

"It's not an excuse," she replied. "Not precisely." She sighed. "I'm rambling. I'm sorry. I spent three days screwing up my courage to go and see him and then I don't get beyond telling him I want to explain."

Eric didn't know what to say.

"I'm Annie Myers, by the way," she said as an introduction.

"I'm...pleased to meet you," Eric answered.

She gave an amused snort. "You don't have a name?"

"It's..." But again, Eric didn't know what to say, beyond the obvious, which was he couldn't admit to being himself.

"Don't tell me -- it's a top secret identity," Annie guessed.

"Something like that," Eric answered.

"Well I have to call you something...unless we should be conserving oxygen?"

"Oxygen levels are fine," Eric answered. "And you can call me...Daniel," he finished, falling back on the cover name he'd used for the six week placement he'd done at Del Oro Bay College.

"You don't sound like a Daniel," Annie observed. "Maybe a Dan?"

"If you want."

"Dan it is, then."

"OK." Over the comm., Eric tried again: "Red three to anyone receiving this." Still static.

"So how do we get out of here?" Annie asked.

Eric sighed. "Not sure," he admitted. "We're under about eight feet of rubble, so they're going to have to dig down to us rather than the other way round."

"How do you know this?" Annie wondered.

Eric smiled faintly. "I carry a wrist unit which has a powerful computer in it."

  
"And you just asked it how deep we were?" She sounded dubious.

"Oddly enough," Eric answered, finding himself grinning, "yes."

"I bet that's not something you picked up at your local Radio Shack."

Eric chuckled. "No -- it's...a proto-type." Which was certainly true, if he recalled Trip's words correctly. "Made by Biolab." Which wasn't so true -- but it was the cover for Quantum Morpher's presence in the twenty-first century.

"Biolab?"

"Big science firm..."

"I know who they are," Annie replied, cutting him off. "You work for them?"

"Sort of. I actually work for the Silver Guardians."

"Then..." Annie hesitated.

Eric waited. When it seemed as if she wasn't going to say anything, he prompted, "Then...?"

"My son is head of the Silver Guardians." There was another, long, long pause. "Um...do you know him?"

~*~

Ben looked around the group. Taylor was leaning against the SUV, arms folded, face giving nothing away. Foster and Hines were standing together, both looked dazed and both were covered in cement dust. Wes and Jen, both demorphed for the time being, were also together. Like Taylor, their expressions were closed, giving nothing away but Ben knew both well enough to know that both of them were itching to start searching the rubble of the collapsed hotel. The six members of Beta team circled the group, all looking concerned and drawn. The last member of the group, Kimberly, was standing close to Wes and Jen but apart. She looked pale but there was a hardness about her expression that told Ben that, much as he would love to send her home at this point, there was no way she was budging.

"We all know the situation," Ben began. "The hotel has collapsed with at least two people inside. We will be starting to search the rubble just as soon as Meachen has certified it's safe." He glanced around at everyone. "I want to go ahead with this as much as anyone but, as cliché as it sounds, safety has got to come first. Further more, if the rubble pile is insecure, there's a better than good chance that we could dislodge it and hurt those trapped."

"What's the plan?" Taylor asked, cutting to the chase.

"The plan is simple. When we have the go ahead, we dig. Because of the likely hood of people being trapped, it's hands only -- again, we don't want to cause any further injuries. Delta team will be here in a moment; that will give us nineteen people on site. It will be two teams. Team one: Delta team plus Wes, Fos and Barbie. Team two: Beta team plus Jen, Taylor and myself. Kim..."

"Stay on comm.," she finished. "You got it."

Ben nodded. "Wes, Jen -- you have IR capabilities; we're going to need them. For the moment, Meachen needs all his IR crews on the west side of the mall." There were a few nods that met that statement. Ben took another look around, meeting everyone's gaze. "I am not going to give up until I know for one hundred percent sure there is no-one left in that pile. And if that means working right through the night...well that's what I'm going to do."

~*~

"Your son would be Eric Myers, right?"

Annie smiled a little. "Yes."

"I know him," 'Dan' answered.

"Well?"

"Fairly," came the cautious response.

Annie chewed her lip. "Would you..."

"Would I...?" he prompted gently.

"This is going to sound awful -- I mean, what mother doesn't know their own son, but...would you tell me about him?"

There was a hesitation, then 'Dan' replied, "Sure. What do you want to know?"

Annie bit down on the urge to say 'everything'. "Well...what he's been up to...how he's doing."

"OK." There was a pause. Annie guessed it was while 'Dan' ordered his thoughts. "Well he's been a member of the Silver Guardians for three years. Before that...I think he was in the Forces."

"Do you know which branch?" Annie found herself asking.

"No, sorry -- he doesn't talk about his past much."

"Oh...I suppose he doesn't really have much of a cause to." Annie sighed.

"What makes you say that?" 'Dan' asked. "If you don't mind me asking," he added.

Annie smiled self-deprecatorily despite knowing 'Dan' couldn't see her expression. "I wasn't a good mother."

"I'm..."

"Ah -- don't say it, 'Dan'. I've had thirteen years to think about it. I know that I wasn't a good mother. I did some..." Annie sighed. "Some bad things. Not to Eric," she added hastily. "At least," she amended, "not directly." There was a long silence. "You must think I'm an awful person."

"I don't know the circumstances," 'Dan' replied. "I can't offer that judgement. What I can tell is that whatever happened hurt you -- and that you regret it."

"That's very charitable, 'Dan' -- I doubt Eric would see it that way."

"He might."

"You know him that well you could get him to listen?" said Annie dubiously.

"I can try," 'Dan' replied. "When we get out of here -- I can speak to him."

"You think we're going to get out of here?" Annie asked.

"Of course," 'Dan' said.

Annie shook her head. "How can you be so sure?"

"Well," he replied, "I was in comm. contact with the team outside when the hotel came down. They know we're in here."

"Are you in comm. contact now?"

There was a lengthy and slightly sheepish silence. "No."

"So you don't know they're looking for us," Annie answered.

"Not specifically," 'Dan' replied. "But I know the team outside. They'll be looking."

~*~

"You are good to go," Meachen announced, walking up to Ben. "May I have a word privately?"

Ben nodded. "Of course."

Meachen led him away from the gathered group of Silver Guardians. 

"How many people were in there when it went?" the fire chief asked.

"At least two -- we were two floors short of clearing the whole building."

Meachen looked grim. "I don't want to be a wet blanket but..."

"But the chances of us pulling anyone out alive are slim." Ben folded his arms and met Meachen's gaze. "I know that."

"Not just slim," Meachen retorted. "That building is pancaked."

"And I can't not try," Ben replied. "If nothing else, if I don't try, I will have Eric Myers' wife climbing that rubble pile and looking anyway." Meachen winced. "I know the situation isn't good, but I also know that there are at least two people in there, one of whom is a very good friend of mine."

Meachen nodded. "I understand -- but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't tell you that."

Ben nodded. "I know."

"I'll get Mackenzie to put a fire under the people collating that list of missing hotel guests. So that you know how many people you are looking for."

"Or how many bodies."

Meachen nodded. "Good luck."

"You too."

Ben returned to the rest of the guardians. "OK people," he called. "We are good to go. Team one -- let's get this show on the road. Team two, get your heads down and catch a couple of hours' rest. This is going to be a long job."

Instantly, the group sprang into life. Those who had been designated as part of team one headed out towards the rubble pile that had once been the East Plaza Hotel while everyone else made for the two spare SUVs, intent on getting the rest. Ben himself headed for the comm. post. Sure enough, Kimberly had already retaken her seat.

"OK?" Ben asked.

"All set," Kimberly replied, not making any effort to actually answer his question. "I've set a new frequency for the two rescue teams on an all hear all basis, leaving the original op frequency free."

"Have you spoken to Ellie?" Ben asked.

"I don't need to. Eric and I will be home..."

"Kim, listen to me," Ben cut in gently. "You **need** to start thinking, and I don't mean about the details of the operation. Alice gets out of school about now. I know Ellie will pick her up and look after her but...it isn't fair to Ellie not to tell her what's going on."

"He's **going** to be OK," Kimberly insisted, not looking at Ben.

"Kim..." Ben closed his eyes. "Kim, I know you don't want to hear this but you have to: The chances of Eric being OK are not great. In Meachen's opinion, the chances are zero. I don't want to believe that but I have to maintain a realistic view."

"He is **going** to be OK."

Ben bowed his head. _Denial ain't just a river in Egypt._ "You still need to call Ellie. Let her know you're going to be late."

"In a..."

"Now," Ben ordered. "Because if Eric does get out of this, he will kick my ass if you don't; and if he doesn't, I'm damn sure he'll haunt me."

That provoked a hiccup of near-hysterical laughter from Kimberly. "All right...I'll call Ellie." 

~*~

Silence descended after his last comment. _"Morpher -- can you tell if my comm. signal is being blocked by interference?"_ Eric queried the morpher.

Kimberly would be going nuts, he reflected. That was one reason why he **knew** beyond a shadow of a doubt that someone would be looking for him and Annie. But there was no way for him to tell Annie that. So the next best thing was to try and re-establish contact with the outside world.

_"Negative,"_ came the response from the morpher.

"Negative, meaning what? You can't tell or there's no interference?"

There was a pause. _"No interference."_

"So why aren't my comm. calls getting through -- and why aren't I picking up any comm. transmissions from outside?"

"Are you talking to that computer thing of yours again?" Annie asked.

"Yes," Eric admitted. "Hoping to find a way to make contact with the outside world."

"Any luck?"

Eric smiled wryly. "Not yet -- still working on it."

_"Comm. unit requires more power,"_ came the eventual answer from the morpher. _"Suggest demorphing."_

"Will that guarantee the comm. works?"

"No."

"And if I demorph, will I be able to morph again?"

"No."

"And what happens if I do demorph -- will that endanger this space?"

The morpher sounded sheepish._ "Yes."_

_"Then, guess what: I'm not going to be demorphing any time soon." _Eric sighed._ "Other options?"_

"That doesn't sound promising," Annie observed.

"Just wondering which technocrat thought it was a good idea to give this computer a sense of humour," Eric replied.

"Oh."

_"I can boost power to the comm. system,"_ the morpher announced.

"With or without me demorphing?"

_"Without," _came the fractionally offended response.

"What's the catch?"

There was a long pause. If Eric didn't know better, he'd suggest the morpher was nervous when it replied,_ "Physical burn-out."_

"You mean you'll tap my energy reserves on top of yours."

"Yes."

"Turn me into a human battery, in effect?"

"Yes."

"How long would burn-out take?"

"Do you have a family?" Annie asked.

"Yes." A thought occurred to Eric. "In fact, it's my first wedding anniversary this week."

"Congratulations." There was a wistful note to Annie's voice.

"Estimate depends on how long a planned comm. transmission would be."

_"Keeping the channel open until we're dug out," _Eric answered. "Thank you," he added aloud.

"Do you have any children?"

Eric knew he should have found the questions invasive, but strangely it wasn't bothering him. "I have a seven year-old daughter." An image of Alice danced through his mind.

"She's a lucky child." Eric could just about make out the smile on Annie's face. "You must be a wonderful father to her."

"I hope so." Eric realised he was blushing.

_"I cannot compute that estimate," _the morpher finally announced._ "Please supply a fixed length of time."_

_"All right." _Eric did a hasty calculation as to how long it would take people digging to get through the eight feet of rubble._ "Say eight hours."_

"Computing."

"How about you?" Eric asked, not really wanting to know but needing to keep some sort of real conversation going.

"I don't know," Annie admitted. "Eric is my only living relative and...I don't know if he's married...divorced...living with someone...whether I have any grandchildren... And I know you could tell me but I'm not so sure I want to know...not if I have no chance of ever getting to know them. Just...tell me he's happy."

"He's happy," Eric answered. "I can promise you that."

_"Eight hours is impossible to achieve," _the morpher stated._ "You would reach total physical burn-out in one point oh six hours."_

_"And you couldn't have told me that before because...?" _Eric growled._ "What would the effect be of a short -- say five to ten minutes -- comm. blast be?"_

"Calculating."

"Good," said Annie.

"And I promise you you'll get a chance to talk to him," Eric added on impulse. "I said I'd talk to him for you -- and I will."

~*~

Jen tried to rest, but it was hard. She kept replaying events. She should have insisted to Ben that she help clear the hotel. There had to have been something more she could have done that would have helped...that would have prevented **this**.

"He knew the risks," said Taylor, apparently apropos of nothing.

Jen blinked. "What? Who?"

Taylor just gave Jen an 'are you kidding me' look. "Eric. You were thinking you could have done something else."

"Was it that obvious?" Jen asked sheepishly.

"You're just doing what every other person here is doing," Taylor answered. "You don't think I'm not trying to work out how I could have made it clearer he needed to get out? You don't think Ben's second guessing himself about what he ordered?"

"No."

"At the end of the day, it doesn't help. So all you can do is remember that Eric knew the risks of what he was doing." Jen opened her mouth. "And don't," Taylor added, "tell me I'm a bitch for saying that. Maybe I don't know Eric as well as you do; maybe I haven't put my life on the line for him yet or had him put his on the line for me but that doesn't mean he isn't my friend."

Jen slowly shook her head. "I see you, I hear Eric."

"And you know he'd be right."

"Doesn't make it any easier."

Taylor offered a tight smile. "No. It doesn't."

~*~

Annie sighed. That atmosphere in the hole was getting decidedly warm and stuffy. "Are you sure there's an oxygen flow?" she asked.

"Yep."

'Dan' sounded different -- upset. "What's wrong?" Annie asked.

"Nothing."

"Bullshit," Annie retorted. "The least you can do is be honest with me 'Dan' -- you've found something about this situation you don't like."

He sighed. "It's not about this situation per se."

"Then what is it?" There was a long silence. "'Dan'?"

"I have a way of getting in touch with the team outside," he finally said.

"But?"

"But if I do that, there's a better than even chance of it killing both of us."

Annie stared. "What? But how?!"

"The wrist unit I told you about generates a special...force field would cover it. Keeping that running doesn't require a lot of power, which is just as well because the unit is just about out of power." He sighed. "To generate it in the first place...or to stop generating it requires a burst of energy and it creates a...a kind of disturbance."

"Well...OK -- don't stop generating it," said Annie. "I'm not sure I get what this has to do with contacting outside."

'Dan' sighed. "I'm sorry -- I'm not explaining this very well. I'm just a grunt not a tech-head." He paused. "The comm. system is a part of the force field. Right now, it's running on backup power only -- to conserve energy. Which means it doesn't have the range to get through eight feet of rock."

"OK," said Annie, nodding slowly.

"But boosting the power to the comm. system will mean I force-demorph...the force field will stop generating," 'Dan' amended. "And that could very well bring this hole crashing down around us."

Annie felt sick. "That... What are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

~*~

Eric sat back against the cement wall of what was rapidly turning into his tomb, closed his eyes and tried to work out what options he had open to him. There was an additional problem, on top of what he'd rather clumsily explained to Annie -- something he really didn't want to tell her if he didn't have to.

When the morpher had reported that rather handy fact about boosting the comm. system would force-demorph him, it had also stated that to maintain the morph, it was now tapping into his own energy reserves. When they ran down, he would force-demorph anyway and that would be that.

He had no more than four hours.

Kim, I'm sorry.

~*~

Dusk was starting to fall when Ben gave the order for the two teams to change over.

"Any luck?" he asked Wes as they passed.

Wes just slowly shook his head. "It's like looking for a needle in a haystack...in a field full of haystacks."

Ben grimaced. "All right. Get some rest -- we'll change over again in two hours. Meachen is organising emergency lighting, so we'll be able to carry on over night if we have to."

"Right." Wes nodded. "Good luck, Ben."

"Thanks Wes."

"See you in two."

They parted and Ben headed up onto the rubble pile. He could see where team one had been digging but he could also see how little impression they'd made on the rubble pile. He felt his heart sink. This was hopeless.

"OK -- c'mon guys. Let's get down to it."

~*~

"How long have we been stuck here now?"

Annie's question startled Eric out of the depression he'd slid into. "I'm not sure," he confessed. He glanced at the tiny countdown display the morpher was projecting onto the bottom right hand corner of his visor. Three hours thirty-nine minutes left. "It has to be at least a couple of hours."

"Is that all...I figured it had to be days," Annie joked weakly.

Eric found himself smiling a little. "I'm sorry I'm not better company." And to his general surprise, he found he meant that.

"It's not you," Annie replied, amusement lacing her voice. "I don't think the surroundings are exactly...luxury."

"True."

Annie sighed. "I really wish I hadn't come back to Silverhills."

"Why did you?" Eric asked, keen to latch onto anything that would keep him from thinking about what was going to happen. "I mean, why now?"

"I'm dying."

Eric felt as if she'd physically slapped him. "We're going to get out of this..." he began.

She laughed. "I don't mean that." Her laughter died. "I was a whore... No, wait, I take that back. I didn't have the brains to charge." Eric winced. "Somewhere along the way... You have to promise you won't tell Eric this."

"I promise," he answered mechanically.

Annie sighed. "I don't want...don't deserve his pity... I have AIDS."

~*~

Having confessed that much, Annie found the next part just spilling out, almost of its own accord.

"I really made a mess of my life...and...unfortunately Eric bore the brunt of that. Y'see...Eric's father was a soldier...in Viet Nam. We were engaged...and then he was listed MIA...and I found out I was pregnant." Annie sighed. "I did the only thing I could. I packed up my stuff and went home, to my parents...who were less than happy at the prospect of their daughter having a white man's baby out of wedlock.

"Then Frank came back. I never did find out what happened -- why he got listed as MIA -- but I was so happy...and my father told him he wasn't welcome. Every time I tried to explain to Frank...my parents intervened. I hated them for that. They said: He's ruined your life; don't let him ruin it more. Frank didn't want to ruin my life -- he wanted to marry me...build a family.

"In the end, I moved to Silverhills, desperately hoping that Frank would follow...I even wrote him a letter, telling him what I was doing. With a three year-old child, I moved to a strange city, cut myself off from my family...and he never showed up."

"Maybe he didn't get the letter?" 'Dan' suggested.

"He didn't," Annie confirmed. "It returned to me as 'not known at that address'." She sighed. "I was heartbroken, I was alone and I had a three year-old child I barely knew how to look after...no money...no family... I just...gave up. Self-destructed. If you could swallow it, snort it, inject it, drink it or screw it, I did it...and then managed to fake enough sobriety and sanity for parent-teacher days or for welfare interviews... Heck, I managed to fake sobriety so that Eric could get a shot at a better life... He won a scholarship to Billingsley Prep School. He was such a..." Annie sighed. "Such an intelligent, bright kid. Even as screwed up as I was, I could see that. So when the school board wrote and said he'd been selected for the McGregor Scholarship for Billingsley...I knew that when he went for interview, I had to be the model mother. I had to make sure he got that place...so that I wouldn't have dragged him down with me.

"And he got it, too. I was so proud of him...not that I had any right to be -- he'd gotten there in spite of me... I managed to stay clean, sober and celibate the whole of that summer...it was almost like I was a real mom. I...he took part in a karate tournament in Mariner Bay and I went along and watched. We did things...went to the movies...they did a Star Wars marathon at the local movie theatre and we went to that..."

"It sounds like a great time," 'Dan' observed quietly.

"It was. It really was," Annie agreed. "I saw him down to Billingsley and promised myself that I'd **stay** this way. I was going to pull my life around...I had a college degree, for Pete's sake! And then...first job interview I went to, they did a medical; did a blood test...just a routine one..."

"And they found out you were HIV positive," 'Dan' filled in.

"Yes." To her surprise, Annie found she was crying. She hadn't done that since she'd been given the news. She dashed a hand across her face. "I can't believe I'm crying...it's a useless emotion..."

"Sometimes it helps," 'Dan' replied gently. She felt him find her hand and gently squeeze it.

"It's not going to make me better," Annie sobbed. "It's not going to fix everything I screwed up... It's not going to make Eric ever forgive me."

~*~

Each and ever sob felt like a dagger to his heart. In an even bigger way than hearing his father's side of the story, Eric found himself hurting. And this time, it wasn't as if he could admit to it.

"You must think I'm an idiot," Annie presently managed, her sobs gradually easing.

"No, I don't," Eric answered honestly. "I think you've maybe made some bad choices...I don't think you're an idiot."

"Still say Eric will see it that way?"

"I do." He sighed. "Eric is a stubborn cuss -- but he knows how to admit he's been wrong."

Annie hiccuped. "Sounds like you know that from personal experience."

Eric smiled faintly. "Not me personally, no. But I've seen him do it."

"Tell me about him...please?" Annie begged.

~*~

Ellie Phillips, great niece of Walter Phillips, the Collins' family butler, looked at the golden-haired child before her and wished that she was anywhere else but where she was.

"But I want mommy or daddy to put me to bed," Alice pouted. "When are they coming home?"

Ellie crouched before her. "Alice...you know that daddy is a Silver Guardian?" Alice nodded vigorously, blonde braids swinging. "Well, that means that sometimes daddy has to work really late to help people who've got into trouble."

"I know that. When's he coming home?"

Ellie sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. _He might not be._

"Is daddy helping people?" Alice asked.

"Yes he is."

"Lots of people?"

"Yes."

Alice sighed. "Then I **guess** it's all right... But why isn't mommy here?"

"Because your mummy is helping your daddy." Alice pouted again. "The people they're helping really need all their help."

"Can I help?" Alice asked. "I'm good at helping people."

It was an opening and Ellie pounced. "The best way you can help is for you to go to bed."

Alice pouted yet again. "Aw but..."

"No 'aw but' about it -- if you don't go to bed, you'll get sick and then your mummy and daddy will be worrying about you as well as the people they're trying to help."

It was bullshit logic, and Ellie knew that, but she had to get Alice to go to bed somehow. There was no way Kimberly -- or Eric -- would want to have Alice around when they came in just in case that arrival heralded bad news.

And Ellie knew from the spaces in Kimberly's words when she had phoned two and a half hours ago that the chances of bad news were far, far greater than any chances of good news.

"OK," Alice sighed, submitting. "But I want them to say good night when they come in. Promise me they will."

Ellie smiled. "I promise." _Please don't make me into a liar,_ she pleaded silently.

~*~

Listlessly, Kimberly listened to the comm. chatter from team two. They were working flat out -- she knew they were -- but they didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Periodically, she tried Eric's call sign over the other comm. frequency, but that also wasn't getting anywhere.

You had to be so stubborn...you had to be a hero.

Silent tears started to track down her cheeks.

Eric you promised me forever... I've only had one year...you can't do this to me...

~*~

Eric could feel the physical exhaustion setting in as he watched the timer count down. There was only two and a half hours left now -- and he knew, from past experience, that the feeling of exhaustion was only going to get worse.

After the mammoth confessions and crying jag, Annie had fallen silent. A glance in her direction told him she was dozing now. He probably ought to make more of an effort to keep her awake...but perhaps it was better this way. If the demorph -- when it came -- destroyed the cave, it was better if she never knew what hit her.

Eric was tempted to follow her example; he wasn't especially keen on being awake for his death. But the faint hope he had of being dug out kept him awake, straining his ears for any sign of rescue. There was a chance -- so the morpher had told him prior to it shutting down to conserve power -- that if the rescuers got within about two feet, even in passive mode, the comm. would be able to transmit to them.

If they got within two feet; if someone happened to be listening.

If.

Eric hated the word.

It was all he had.

~*~

The lights were gleaming when Ben ordered the teams to change over again. His hands were raw from handling rough concrete, he was dusty and he was tired...and there was still no sign of anything beyond more concrete.

"It's not looking good," Wes stated.

Ben shook his head. "No it's not."

"The good news," Wes continued, "if you can call it that, is that Mackenzie has finally provided a list of the missing from the hotel guests."

  
"Geez, takes his time, don't he," Ben groused. "How many others are we looking for?"

"None."

Ben stared. "You're shitting me!"

Wes shook his head. "Eric and whoever he had just found were the only people in the building."

Ben shivered. His decision not to let Jen help finish clearing the hotel came back to him. If she'd gone...

~*~

Eric was drifting.

He could barely find the energy to open his eyes to see how many minutes his life had left. Finally getting them open it took three goes before he could focus on the red digits.

One hour and forty-nine minutes.

That was all.

And he was so tired.

Too tired to care.

There was...

...something he... 

...ought to be... 

...doing...

...something...

...was... 

...different?

A slow frown crossed his face.

He could...

...hear something. 

Repeating. 

Familiar.

"...ed thr...do...ead..."

It came again. 

More this time.

"Red thr...do you...d me?"

Red thr? 

That should mean something to him...

...shouldn't it?

"Red three d...read me?"

Red three... 

That was...

"Red three do you read me?"

Adrenaline started to flood his system, dragging him back to the here and now. The red digits had climbed down to one hour and fifteen minutes. Damn! How long had he been listening to Kimberly's voice without realising it?

"Control this is Red three, I read you."

There was an agonising pause.

"Red three...is that you?"

Even over a staticy comm. transmission Eric could hear the fear and hope warring in Kimberly's voice. "Yes, Control, it is me. I read you."

"Just...confirm to me I really am hearing your voice. Please."

"Red three to Control, I read you loud and clear -- I promise it's me, Kim."

"Standby, Red three -- let me give folks the good news."

The comm. went silent for a couple of moments, then a new voice came over it. "Red three, this is Red one -- you wanna give us a clue as to where in this shit heap you are?"

Eric almost laughed at hearing Wes' voice. "I've gotta be within two feet of the surface -- energy levels are shot to pieces."

"Understood."

"Control to Red three -- is the person you found with you?"

"Yes she is," Eric answered. "Her name's Annie Myers. She'll be listed as hotel guest."

"What sort of shape is she in?" Kimberly asked.

"Dehydrated, probably bruised and cut -- she'll need looking over by paramedics." Eric hesitated. "And you're going to need to tell them she's HIV positive."

"Copy that," said Kimberly.

"Got that covered," contributed Wes.

"Red three -- what is your physical status?" Kimberly continued.

"Same sort of state," Eric answered. "I know I've taken at least one knock to the head. I was out cold for the best part of half an hour."

"Understood."

Eric glanced at the counter display. The five-minute comm. conversation had turned the counter from one hour fifteen to just forty-five minutes.

"I don't want to rush you guys," Eric said, "but I am a little too close to a force-demorph, which will cause this shit to come down on top of the two of us in here, and I can't keep using the comm., it's taking up too much energy."

"How close is too close?" Wes asked.

"If I keep using the comm. probably ten minutes. Otherwise..." Eric checked the timer again. "Otherwise you have a little over half an hour."

"Copy that, Red three," came Kimberly's voice, tight with fear.

"Sit tight, Red three -- we'll have you out soon," said Wes. "Promise."

"Copy that. Red three out."

Eric settled back, eyes rooted to the counter, watching the seconds tick over. It was all he could do.

~*~

Kimberly sat rigid in her seat. They'd found him on comm. but as yet they hadn't actually found him.

Paramedics were standing by.

They were ready for both Eric and Annie, although in Eric's case it sounded more like all he needed was sleep.

But none of that would matter if they didn't find him.

So close.

She couldn't lose him now. Not when they'd come so close to being in time.

~*~

Wes scanned the dig area, trying desperately to pinpoint where, under all the rubble, Eric was. It was frustrating to know that he was only two feet away but to not know which two feet.

"Need help?" Jen asked over the comm. as she approached the rubble pile.

"Yeah. He's here...I just can't get a fix."

"We'll do it," Jen promised.

She joined him at the dig site while the rest of the guardians hung back, waiting for the OK to start digging.

Minutes crawled by. Jen took up a position above the dig point, Wes took up a position just below. Between them they scanned the whole dig area -- a four-feet deep 'bite' out of the side of the rubble pile. The dig had begun there because of some faint IR readings but now there seemed to be nothing... Wes started to track back...

"Back wall!" he exclaimed, almost diving forwards. "Got him!"

"Red one -- say again?" Kimberly asked.

"Standby Control -- confirming my readings." Wes looked up at Jen. "Back wall, half way along. It's faint, but it's there. Life signs."

Jen dropped down into the dig site and took her own reading. "Red two to Control -- reading confirmed. Definitely two sets of life signs. They're faint but we've found them."

"You've got something?" Ben yelled up.

"Yep." Wes nodded.

"Let's go to this!"

~*~

Kimberly held her breath.

She'd heard Ben's order over the secondary comm. frequency but she'd also set a timer going when Eric mentioned how short the time was. Half an hour. A glance at her timer now showed that time was almost up.

The wait was killing her.

"Got it!" That was Ben.

"Careful -- it's not stable." Wes.

"OK got her." Jen.

"Control -- we have Annie Myers safe and sound," Ben announced.

"Copy that."

Kimberly wanted to ask about Eric but didn't quite dare.

"Jesus Eric you weren't kidding were you..." Wes again.

"When have you ever...known me to...kid about this?"

That might have been the best thing Kimberly had ever heard over the comm. system.

"Control," said Ben, "we have him."

"Copy that, Ben," Kimberly managed to answer. "Control to all call signs -- operation complete."

~*~

Eric sighed.

Three days later and Kimberly was still barely letting him out of her sight. To say it was driving him nuts was putting it mildly. Then there was Ben, who was acting like an overgrown mother hen. Wes and Jen, at least, were resisting the temptation to react like that -- but he could see them controlling the impulse.

He shook his head as he made his way along the hospital corridor.

It could have been so much worse. The overall death toll from East Mall was fifteen, all in the mall food court, which had -- as it had turned out -- been the part of the shopping centre that had borne the brunt of the attack. And Eric was painfully aware of how close he had come to being the sixteenth victim.

Investigators were certain it was a series of bombs and were certain it was homemade explosives. Which, Eric noted, meant that it could have been done by anyone, from local crazies to international terrorists -- although the latter was unlikely. There was no apparent motive, no real target, and no obvious gain...unless the perpetrators wanted to cause mass mayhem, and carnage -- and even the latter they hadn't really achieved. Given the time of the blasts, the fact that there were only fifteen people killed was nothing short of a miracle.

He yawned. Nearing his destination, Eric privately admitted to himself that he was going to feel the effects of that power drain for quite a while yet. Maybe Kimberly had a point -- he was trying to do things too soon.

Unfortunately, this wasn't something he could put off.

He reached out and knocked politely on the door.

"Come in," called a voice.

Eric swallowed and pushed the door open.

"Mom?"

THE END


End file.
